Sorry Not Sorry - Fort Worth Mayor Says "I Still Have Your Casket"

Sorry Not Sorry – Fort Worth Mayor Says “I Still Have Your Casket”

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker refuses to apologize for her “casket” comment to activist Patrice Jones — reigniting a protest controversy from 2022.

Fort Worth City Hall, Texas, United States — Source: Sanghwan Kim / Getty

FORT WORTH, TX — Mayor Mattie Parker said what she said — and she’s not walking it back.

After a tense city council exchange with local activist Patrice Jones, Parker fired off a now-viral line that had the whole city talking:

“Patrice, I still have your casket.”

That single sentence lit up social media, community meetings, and coffee shops across the city. Critics called it threatening and unprofessional, while Parker’s supporters said she was defending herself.
But the real story goes back almost three years — to when a casket was left outside the mayor’s home in December 2022 during protests over a Fort Worth police shooting.

Where the Casket Came From

That coffin was part of a Black Lives Matter-style protest calling out city leadership for how it handled the death of Atatiana Jefferson, a young Black woman shot and killed in her home by a Fort Worth police officer in 2019.
Activists, including Patrice Jones, had been organizing community marches and vigils ever since. In 2022, protesters used the casket as a symbol of mourning and justice, not a threat. Police investigated the incident at Parker’s home, but according to reports, no evidence ever linked Jones to it, and no charges were filed.
Fast forward to this month — Jones spoke out against reducing public comment time at city hall. Parker, visibly frustrated, hit her with that “I still have your casket” line — reviving an old wound that had already been cleared by police.

Parker Stands on Business — and Backlash

When pressed later, Parker refused to apologize.
“I don’t right now,” she told reporters. “I regret anything that puts a negative light on Fort Worth… but my job is to tell positive stories.”
Translation: she’s sorry it made headlines, but not sorry for saying it.
Jones has since filed a report, calling the comment “a threat,” though police ruled it didn’t meet that legal standard. Still, community leaders say the tone was disrespectful, divisive, and dangerous coming from a sitting mayor.

Bottom Line

Fort Worth’s political temperature just got hotter. Mattie Parker’s standing firm, Patrice Jones isn’t backing down, and the city’s watching every move.
More as this story develops from this unusual story out the Funk!